1. Section 6-1: Introduction to Exponential Functions

2. Objective Discover by point-wise plotting what the graph of an exponential function looks like.

3. Exponential Function An exponential function is a function whose general equation is: Where a and b stand for constants, b is positive, and x and y are independent and dependent variables, respectively.

4. Example: Consider the function f(x) = 2 x Calculate f(4), f(3), f(2), and f(1).

5. Section 6-2: Exponentiation for Positive Integer Exponents

6. Objective Use the definition of exponentiation to evaluate expressions that have powers with positive integer exponents, in preparation for learning the properties in the next section.

7. Exponentiation For Positive Integer Exponents x n means the product of n x’s.

8. Names in the Expression x n x is called the base. n is called the exponent. The whole term x n is called a power.

9. Agreement If the base of a power consists of more than one symbol, then it must be placed in parentheses. Fore example, (xy) 5 (x-y) 5 (-x) 5 Otherwise, the exponent only applies to one symbol. For example, xy 5 = x(y 5 )

10. Evaluate the Following Examples

11. Given f(x) =3 x Evaluate: f (3) f (2) f (1) Plot the graph of the function.

12. HOMEWORK: Complete Worksheet